Port of Seattle is a port for the future: the Seattle Waterfront Clean Energy Strategy (Energy Strategy) is a forward-looking, first-of-its-kind collaboration to transform our regional maritime industry. The Energy Strategy began with a unique 10-year Port-Utility Partnering Agreement to jointly plan, coordinate, and upgrade energy infrastructure across port properties and Seattle’s power grid. The Port of Seattle, Northwest Seaport Alliance, and electric utility Seattle City Light, collaborated over four years to analyze demand, assess constraints, and identify infrastructure investments and strategies needed to support the electrification of buildings, vehicles, vessels, and equipment on port properties.
Access to affordable, low-carbon electricity in Seattle is a key advantage and opportunity to significantly reduce air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Today, 78 percent of port-related energy comes from fossil fuels, and air pollutants are a concern in neighboring communities. The Energy Strategy charts a course to zero emission operations in direct support of regional priorities and UN SDGs 3, 9, 10, and 11, supporting energy efficient infrastructure, sustainable transport, reduction of inequities and improved air quality for sustainable communities.
The Energy Strategy evaluated current and future energy demands across 24 properties spanning the Seattle waterfront, including major cruise and cargo terminals, commercial fishing and recreational marinas, truck facilities and port-adjacent properties. The analysis identifies a four-fold increase in the port’s peak power demand by 2050 and $208 – 457 million in electrical infrastructure investments.
To meet these challenges, the Energy Strategy provides a roadmap for maritime electrification. Collaboration among government, industry, community, and NGO’s will be vital, along with an emphasis on innovation in clean energy technologies by the Port, utility and maritime industry. By following the Energy Strategy’s holistic technical, policy, and planning approach and recommendations, Seattle has a strategy to accelerate the zero-emission maritime transition and a model for other ports.